It has been reported that public servants employed by Corrections Victoria will be granted new powers to impose curfews on offenders and to impose extra hours of unpaid community service under a bill progressing through State Parliament. Concerns have been raised about the appropriateness of mid-level public servants making these decisions and imposing penalties without referring the case back to the Courts. Incoming Law Institute president Michael Holcroft told The Age that the new powers “effectively make the corrections officers the judge, jury and executioner.”

New national voice to represent Indigenous Health

The National Health Leadership Forum has been elected to be the national representative voice to Governments on Indigenous Health. The NHLF is part of the national Congress of Australia’s First Peoples. Mick Gooda, the Campaign Co-Chair and Social Justice Commissioner for the Australian Human Rights Commission said the announcement is “a turning point for Indigenous peoples” and the Close the Gap Campaign has welcomed the change. Federal Minister for Indigenous Health Warren Snowden said the cooperative nature of the Leadership Forum and the national plan for Indigenous Health will “address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.” Mr Snowden also pointed out the need to cover other factors that can impact on health such as “housing, education and early childhood development,” issues that were highlighted by the Productivity Commission’s August report on Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage.

Don’t forget to tune in to Right Now Radio at 6pm tonight on 3CR 855AM to hear all more about these human rights news items. You can also stream live at www.3cr.org.au.

After strike action against Qantas in recent weeks brought the nation to a stop, on this week’s show Right Now Radio will be talking about workers’ rights in Australia. We’ll be speaking with Gabrielle Marchetti from Jobwatch and Siobhan Keating from Maurice Blackburn about some of the major issues currently facing workers in Australia and how these impact on the right to work, conditions of work and the right to strike.